Pearl Jam tears down the Spectrum

A few things you should know about me: I love music, in particular, I love Pearl Jam. I love going to concerts to hear my favorite bands play and I love to travel. So when Pearl Jam announced they would be playing the final four shows (October 27th, 28th, 30th and 31st) at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, it was a no brainer- I had to be there.

I got my tickets, packed my bag and made the drive to Philly in anticipation of what I knew would be some of the most incredible shows that I would ever see. I was not disappointed. From the songs and set lists of each night to the band's performance and dedication to their craft, Pearl Jam was not kidding around. They knew the task at hand- they were playing the final four shows ever at the legendary Spectrum. They knew they had to be great.

Something I love about their shows is that they change the set lists every time, no two shows are the same. In the four nights, only two songs were played each night: the beautiful "Just Breathe" and "The Fixer", both off the new album Backspacer. And having been around now for nearly twenty years, Pearl Jam knows a thing or two about putting together an amazing show, making sure they included staple songs and crowd favorites like "Alive", "Even Flow", "Better Man", "Elderly Woman...", etc.

It's always exciting seeing one of their shows because you never know when they're going to throw in a rare B-side track or one that they don't play live too often. Throughout the Spectrum shows, they played songs like "No Way", "Nothingman", "Bee Girl" and many more that have only been played a handful of times. The Spectrum crowds were also treated to hearing them play "Speed of Sound" for the first time. Though they'd been on tour for a few months supporting the new album, that was the only song they hadn't yet played live, saving it for the Spectrum.

Some of the most memorable moments came on the final night, the 31st, when Pearl Jam busted out a few songs that they have never before played live. The excitement that erupted was tangible when Eddie Vedder came on stage with his accordion and performed "Bugs". A few songs after that, they got into the Halloween spirit with Devo costumes (complete with the goofy red hats) and did an energetic cover of "Whip It". As if that wasn't enough to put the crowd in a frenzy, they threw in Mother Love Bone's "Crown of Thorns" and "Sweet Lew", a track of Lost Dogs dedicated to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that's sung by bassist Jeff Ament.

Some of the sweetest moments for me came in hearing some of my favorite songs: "Black", "Corduroy", "Porch" (such a great song to hear live) and "The End"- the heartbreaking song that closes out Backspacer. Like most Pearl Jam fans, I love "Yellow Ledbetter" and when they closed the final show with it followed by Mike McCready doing Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner", I was in heaven. But one of my biggest highlights was finally getting to see them play "Last Kiss". Always a fan of the original 1950s version, I was thrilled when they did a cover of it in the late 90s. Whenever I saw Pearl Jam, though, they never played that song. Finally getting to see them play it during one of the Spectrum shows made it so rewarding and worth the wait.

On top of the music, one reason I love Pearl Jam so much is their connection to their music and fans. When you go see them play, you don't just get to see them on stage for a few hours, you get an entire experience. I've been to a lot of concerts and I have never seen a band connect more with the fans than Pearl Jam does. You can see how happy they are to be on stage and the energy that they get from the crowd and vice-versa. I'm sure Pearl Jam can feel the love, adoration and respect of the fans as they faithfully sing along and hang onto Vedder's every word and the band's every note. It's that mutual love and respect that Pearl Jam and the fans feel that have garnered them such a loyal following.

By the end of the Spectrum shows, Pearl Jam had given it everything- in total, their set lists equaled about 11.5 hours and over 120 songs played. Everyone there knew they had seen something special. Those were the four best concerts I've ever seen. I feel so lucky to have gotten to share in that and be a part of it. Their music and seeing them live give me such happiness. The only word I know that can begin to sum up those Spectrum shows: epic.

What do you think- are you a Pearl Jam fan? Have you seen them live? Did you get to see any of the Philly shows? What's your best concert experience? Share your thoughts below!

Want to see the complete set lists from each show, click here!

I'll leave you with a link to a fan's video taken from Halloween with Pearl Jam dressed as Devo singing "Whip It". Enjoy!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0MtvJZU920